Água e saúde dos povos indígenas Yanomami (Região do Toototobi, Balawaú, Demini e Paapiú) e Wapishana (Maloca da Malacacheta) - Brasil

Abstract

Brazilian Indian population represents a unique mankind heritage whose preservation is linked to assuring natural resources indispensable to warrant the material and cultural survival of these people who nowadays live with several environmental problems, among these, contamination of water streams that supply the Indian villages. The present work is a result of the interest in studying the quality of water consumed by Yanomami and Wapishana Indians, as well as its influence on these people health. It was carried through a search among health professionals who care for Indian patients aiming to get socio environmental data and list the principal diseases associated with quality of water taken by Yanomami and Wapishana Indians. To microbiological water evaluation it was used the technique of multiple tubes and biochemical tests, the physical-chemical water quality was evaluated through the following parameters: biochemical demand on oxygen (DBO), nitrate, chloride, phosphate, turbidity, pH, temperature, obeying to APHA recommendations (1999). Data were submitted to statistical treatment using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchic Cluster Analysis- HCA. Results proved that unsatisfactory quality of water used by consuming, which presented high levels of total coliforms, thermotolerant and pathogens of clinical and epidemiological relevance, these results, certainly, contributed to that, in the future, the government and society be aware and conscious, but, overall, take necessary action to warrant condign life to those people whose intentions are restrained to the respect to their rights.